{"id":785,"date":"2018-02-02T13:30:34","date_gmt":"2018-02-02T21:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=785"},"modified":"2024-04-02T14:33:39","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T21:33:39","slug":"online-education-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/online-education-committee\/","title":{"rendered":"Investing in the future of online education"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Person<\/p>\n

By Julie Cooper
\nFeb. 2, 2018<\/em><\/p>\n

When it comes to education, Wes Prebeck believes in a \u201cboots on the ground\u201d approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWho better to help make recommendations about online education than students actually enrolled in the programs?\u201d asks Wes, an Oregon State Ecampus student in fisheries, wildlife, and conservation sciences<\/a>\u00a0bachelor’s program.<\/p>\n

Oregon State\u2019s resounding answer: no one.<\/p>\n

With their eyes on the emergent future of online learning, Ecampus faculty and students are leaving their mark as experts in the online education experience.<\/p>\n

Wes is one of two Ecampus students selected to serve on the Oregon State University Online Education Committee<\/a> (OEC) this year, along with graduate student Sage Kirk.<\/p>\n

The OEC provides recommendations to OSU\u2019s Faculty Senate<\/a> on a wide range of issues considered important to faculty and students involved in online and hybrid (in-person and online) education.<\/p>\n

The committee consists of six faculty members and two students with online education experience. Students participate and vote as equal members during monthly meetings.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we have students, they bring a completely different perspective,\u201d says OEC chair and Ecampus Spanish and Italian instructor Raven Chakerian. \u201cAs faculty, we don\u2019t always know or remember the student perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, Sage and Wes will use their expertise as current students to advise on topics central to their education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith the rising popularity of distance learning, serving on the committee provides an opportunity to be on the forefront of these issues,\u201d Wes says.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>Who better to help make recommendations about online education than students actually enrolled in the programs?”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While residing in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife and four kids, Wes plans to continue his education next year as a graduate student, enrolling in the Ecampus wildlife management<\/a> graduate certificate as a pathway to earn his Master of Natural Resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

His degrees will bring him one step closer to his dream of becoming a federal wildlife biologist who works with migratory waterfowl.<\/p>\n

Sage, a resident of Seattle, Washington, is pursuing a master\u2019s degree in clinical mental health counseling<\/a> with a focus on treating depression and anxiety through pet therapy and a cognitive behavioral approach.<\/p>\n

While seeking support that will transition them into new careers, both students discovered their leadership roles on the committee via referrals by trusted Ecampus staff and advisors.<\/p>\n

\u201cConnections are essential, because when you\u2019re on campus, you have all these human connections built in,\u201d Raven says. \u201cI think it can be hard for online students to know what\u2019s out there. More committees should actively reach out to online students.\u201d<\/p>\n

A primary focus for Sage will be creating more opportunities for online students to build support networks with peers, faculty and staff.<\/p>\n

They (Sage uses gender-neutral pronouns) hope to draw from the many viewpoints and experiences of their close-knit Ecampus counseling program cohort to inform the OEC\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy experience as an online student and professional is the first pool of knowledge I draw from when considering issues related to online knowledge and skill-building,\u201d Sage says. \u201cI would like to include my opinions in the issues we work on, but also bring the many other ideas my cohort can provide.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year, the committee will create guidelines for review of online courses that are consistent with on-campus courses, helping Ecampus faculty build coherent records of their teaching and ensure consistent quality and accountability in course presentation.<\/p>\n

It will also prioritize increased access to scholarships and awards for Ecampus students and faculty.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything the Faculty Senate does is about faculty,\u201d Raven says, \u201cbut it\u2019s going to affect students.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wes and Sage\u2019s participation comes at a critical time for the OEC as it begins to streamline its advocacy of online education. Soon they will distribute a faculty survey that will direct the committee\u2019s work for the next three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe the OEC understood the gap that can be present between students and professors, and as a testament to their desire to truly effect change in the online experience, (they) included the other half of the online learning equation \u2013 students,\u201d Sage says.<\/p>\n

Julie Cooper is a student marketing writer for Oregon State Ecampus.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 3<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>Who better to help make recommendations about online education than students actually enrolled in the programs? Oregon State\u2019s resounding answer: no one. With their eyes on the emergent future of online learning, Ecampus faculty and students are leaving their mark as members of the Oregon State University Online Education Committee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":811,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[673],"tags":[184,103,26,206,134,631],"class_list":["post-785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archives","tag-clinical-mental-health","tag-counseling","tag-distance-education","tag-fisheries-wildlife-and-conservation-sciences","tag-master-of-natural-resources","tag-wildlife-management"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/oec-web.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-cF","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1519,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/fisheries-wildlife-scholarship\/","url_meta":{"origin":785,"position":0},"title":"Ecampus student 1 of 7 at OSU to earn study abroad scholarship","author":"Steve Lundeberg","date":"August 19, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Esmeralda Sanchez, an OSU Ecampus student in fisheries and wildlife sciences, will participate in a forest conservation program in Malaysian Borneo after being awarded a\u00a0Benjamin A. 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